Snake ID and field herping around TSV

[naivepom]

Hi guys,

Fairly new to north Queensland from the UK and loving the wildlife over here. Have been out herping a few times and mostly seen roadkill (see picture below - apologies about the quality). Is this snake a keelback?


Also I often see fairly large (@ 1.5m) snakes crossing a favourite road of mine at night. No pictures yet as they cross fairly quickly but they are dark on top (black is my best guess though they could be very dark green) and a much lighter greenish belly. Are these green tree snakes or could they be any number of different species? From what I have read green tree snakes are diurnal but I guess it being summertime its probably too warm for them during the day?

Also, I'm struggling to find really good places to go to find snakes that isnt too far off the beaten track (I only have a bike for travel so cant go on dirt tracks etc). Can anyone recommend some good places to try? Magnetic Island is pretty good for death adders, carpets, brown and green tree snakes but I cant just pop over there on a quiet evening. Any advice much appreciated. Better still, if anyone is local and fancies going out herping sometime and teaching me a few things then that would be great.

 

[SCam]

its a keelback

 

[iceman]

i'll take you out one night if you want, as i live in townsville.

 

[CountryTriton]

I'd recommend going to crystal creek just north of TSV. You can see heaps of reps and anphibs around there. Lower crystal creek has a camping area over night.

If your up for about 3 hour drive and want an awesome night out head up to wallaman falls or jourrama falls (spelling).

Closer to home is head out to the town common at dawn or dusk. You'll definately come across a monitor or two. Just be careful around there as there are salties, taipans and browns around.

 

[steph]

just wondering does anybody know of a python club in brisbane were you can get together for a coffee and talk about reptiles????????????

jules

 

[solar 17]

herp club

pm Bredlslave [sandee]she can give you all the details of a very friendly herp club [meets on the northside near Bridgeman Downs]....cheers solar 17 [Baden]

 

[caustichumor]

It depends on where you are riding from, but the road out to Pallarenda usually has a fair amount of reptile life around (and ground into it.) However at the end of the road there is a couple of good walking tracks which usually show some good diversity, I have seen BHP's, Coastals,brown tree snakes, green tree snakes, brown snakes, Black whip snakes, yellow face whip snakes and keelbacks in that area (and that is just the snakes) there is usually plenty of gould monitors, burton's legless lizards and plenty of skink and gecko varieties as well. Not to mention if you follow the coast you could even spot a saltwater croc.... The Town common is a great spot to look (turn off at the golf club intersection on the road to Pallarenda) I came within inches of stepping on the biggest brown snake I have ever seen in the wetlands there....

 

[naivepom]

Thanks for all your replies - much appreciated. I have driven a few times round the Pallarenda area and not had too much success beyond lots of Curlew chicks (I was contemplating hanging around a large clutch to see if a snake came in for a look!). I also went to the Town Common the other day (where the pic of the keelback came from) and the gates were actually open in the middle of the night. I only got about 2 minutes down the track and turned back around as I started worrying someone would come and lock the gate and trap me there for the night. Does anyone know if the gate is often left open at night?

Iceman I'll happily take you up on that offer - name a day.

 

[iceman]

will do man

 

[naivepom]

Can anyone help with these IDs please - I'm guessing common tree snake but it kind of looked different to the others, possibly a water python??

Again apologies for both my ignorance and for the dreadful pictures - I'm no cameraman and I'm actually using my underwater camera for these which is great at 30m depth but apparently not so great at surface level (though I guess there is no excuse for almost missing the snake entirely in the shot!).

 

[scorps]

Can anyone help with these IDs please - I'm guessing common tree snake but it kind of looked different to the others, possibly a water python??

Again apologies for both my ignorance and for the dreadful pictures - I'm no cameraman and I'm actually using my underwater camera for these which is great at 30m depth but apparently not so great at surface level (though I guess there is no excuse for almost missing the snake entirely in the shot!).

Water python

 

[Palex134]

I'm a JCU student. I've haven't done too much herping back there, but I've seen a couple of species. There is lots of prime habitat back behind the uni. Shoot me a PM if you ever want someone to go herping with. Herping always comes before classes.

 

[iceman]

thats a water python naivepom.

so far herpin' around townsville i've found, water-pythons, keelbacks, brown an common tree snake, slatey, carpet-python, eastern browns, taipan, adders, western browns, BHP's, spotteds, small-eyes, coral snake, scalely-foots, burton legless lizards, scrub-pythons, my all / curl snakes, heaps of different gecko's.

 

[ivonavich]

Awesome amount of herps in Townsville!!! I lived in Mundingburra and had in house visits from Brown and Common tree snakes and Spotted pythons...

 

[naivepom]

A water python you say - in my book thats better than a common tree snake! I've seen several of these guys the last few nights I've been out, some are pretty large.

Palex and Iceman - hopefully i'll see you guys soon...

 

[iceman]

so is any night good for you then to go herpin' ?

 

[naivepom]

Sure - I play soccer on Mondays but I'm usually done by 9pm

 

[naivepom]

OK this one has to be a Keelback right? Any clues about the lizard?

 

[naivepom]

Good herping trip tonight in Townsville despite a bad start of seeing two keelbacks and a water python all roadkill.

2 pythons - one no more than 40cm long (didnt get a photo unfortunately) and this one pictured, I have no idea what sort of python it is though so any help much appreciated.

1 Brown Tree snake

2 Keelbacks

Also saw 2 echidnas and an owl. All in all not a bad night.

 

[Bushfire]

The python is a Spotted python

PS The dragon is a Two lined dragon or close relative